1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a vehicle that includes an electric storage device charged with electric power from an external power supply and a heater for warming the electric storage device by receiving the electric power from the external power supply.
2. Description of Related Art
In International Publication No. 2012/124486, a battery heater starts being actuated when a battery temperature is decreased to an actuation start temperature, and the battery heater stops being actuated when the battery temperature is increased to an actuation stop temperature that is higher than the actuation start temperature. In addition, in International Publication No. 2012/124486, the battery heater is actuated when timer charging is conducted.
When timer charging end time is set, a vehicle starts running at this end time or later. Accordingly, it is preferred to secure input/output performance (particularly, output performance) of the battery when the vehicle starts running, in other words, at the timer charging end time. Since the input/output performance of the battery depends on the battery temperature, the battery temperature only needs to reach a specified temperature at the timer charging end time.
In International Publication No. 2012/124486, the battery temperature is maintained at the actuation stop temperature (the specified temperature) or higher by controlling the actuation of the battery heater. Thus, the battery temperature can be the specified temperature or higher at the timer charging end time.
However, in International Publication No. 2012/124486, there is a case where the battery heater is repeatedly actuated during the timer charging. In other words, in the case where the battery heater stops being actuated after the battery temperature is increased to the actuation stop temperature, the battery temperature is decreased by an influence of an outside air temperature. Then, when the battery temperature is decreased to the actuation start temperature, the battery heater starts being actuated again. In this way, the battery heater is repeatedly actuated.
When the battery heater is repeatedly actuated as described above, the electric power associated with the actuation of the battery heater is wasted. In other words, in the case where the battery temperature is decreased after the battery heater stops being actuated, the electric power that is consumed during the actuation of the battery heater before decreasing of the battery temperature is wasted. As described above, the battery temperature only needs to reach the specified temperature at the timer charging end time. Thus, if the battery heater is repeatedly actuated, the electric power associated with the actuation of the battery heater is wasted.